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Buy Property Abroad - France
For many years France has been one of the top three countries in which the British buy property abroad. Whether investment property, holiday homes, retirement homes, villas, chateau, vineyards, cottages, gites, farmhouses or townhouses. Perhaps the most obvious attraction over the last ten years or so is that French property prices are mostly well below our own in the UK.
It may be true that there are not quite as many bargain French properties for sale now as there may have been before, especially in the most popular areas, but for those people fortunate enough to live in the more expensive areas of the United Kingdom, the difference in cost of property in France and our own is still quite incredible. Meaning there are still many great property buying deals - and bargains - in France.
But with almost the whole world to choose from, why invest in French property? Possibly the proximity to the UK has a fair amount to do with it. France is our nearest neighbour, and many of us endured endless French lessons at school, whether we liked it or not, and so can boast at least secondary school French. Plus from France, it is easier to pop across the channel to keep in touch with family and friends.
A major concern for many Brits, especially among the millions of aging 'baby boomer' generations, is the effect of a damp and cold climate on our spirits, as well as our bodies. Couple that with the apparent inadequacies of our own health care system, and it is easy to see why buying a home (whether a French chateau, a villa in France or a cosy cottage in the French countryside), is so hugely appealing to so many people. Another huge benefit is that generally, France enjoys a climate which is mostly better than our own, and this huge bonus should not be overlooked.
Since the early nineties, travel to France has been easier, especially with the convenient, if somewhat costly, channel tunnel. Low cost airlines have also increased dramatically, spreading their network of routes to many of the smaller, less well known and therefore less crowded cities and towns. These carriers offer Brits the opportunity to pick up a bargain French home in places which were not easily accessible before low cost airlines opened their new routes. It is now easier than ever to reach almost any part of the world, so France is literally an economical hop and a skip for most people in the UK.
France has been among the UK's most popular holiday destinations for many years. For example, in 2002 more than nine millions Brits made the journey to France from the UK, many of them returning again to buy a French holiday home, or to retire in France. And with more than seventy million visitors every year, France is far and away the most popular tourist destination in the whole of Europe.
As if all these reasons aren't enough, don't let's forget the fabulous cuisine. France is world famous for it's mouth-watering foods and award winning wines. For the gourmand, or even just someone who really appreciates fine food, France is a winner. Every region boasts it's own delicious and unique delicacies and specialities.
So if you are tired of the constant grey weather and the rat race, love fine foods and wines, feel the aches and pains of old age creeping up, and own a house now worth a small fortune, then perhaps now is the time to discover why relocating to France and buying French property is so very popular with the British. |
